Boston man sentenced to 30 months in prison for theft from ATM

Share via e-mail

A Boston man was sentenced to 30 months in prison in US District Court today, after he stole cash from a South End ATM in 2012, federal prosecutors said.

Terry K. Leigh, 47, pleaded guilty in January to bank burglary. He was ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution to the Bank of America, and will have three years of supervised release after his 30 month in prison, according to US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz’s office.

In August 2012, federal agents and detectives were investigating a string of ATM burglaries. On Aug. 11, they were conducting surveillance on the Bank of America ATM at 465 Columbus Ave. in Boston, according to Ortiz’s office.

At about 9:45 p.m., investigators saw two people walk into the lobby of an apartment building next to the ATM, said Ortiz’s office.

To access the ATM’s money room, a person must enter a locked security door in the apartment building’s lobby. Leigh, carrying a green duffle bag and wearing a blue hat, gray shirt, sweatpants, and a fake black beard, entered the building, according to Ortiz’s office.

After a few minutes, both individuals left the building, walking onto Columbus Avenue.

Leigh then reentered the building, without his beard and hat. The agents, thinking the ATM was about to be robbed, entered the lobby and saw Leigh exit the money room, the US Attorney’s office said.

Leigh fled and ran up a staircase. Agents stopped him on the building’s roof shortly after.

After Leigh’s arrest, agents found the duffel bag, which contained cutting tools, the blue hat, the and fake beard, Ortiz’s office said.

The ATM had over $240,000 in cash inside at the time of the robbery, prosecutors said.